Restored Water Feature in Los Angeles’ Grand Park is Grand, Indeed

It’s had cameo appearances in the movies “Pretty Woman” and “500 Days of Summer,” and now, the restored Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain has a starring role in Los Angeles’ Grand Park.

The 1960s-era fountain was recently unveiled in Grand Park, which is undergoing a $56 million transformation. Outside the Lines, which reconstructed the fountain with joint venture partner Raymond Group, is proud that it played a part in the fountain’s historic makeover.

The fountain was restored and re-energized to create an interactive gathering place highlighted by water shows with synchronized colored LED lights. The original Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain was constructed in memory of county of Los Angeles’ chief administrative officer, Arthur J. Will, who served from 1951 to 1957.

The new water feature has two separate closed-loop water systems. In the upper system, a 50-foot spray of water shoots upward in the original fountain bowl, then flows into the central basin for recirculation. The water then appears to cascade over a six-foot waterfall into the lower membrane pool, which actually uses a separate closed-loop system.

In the lower membrane pool, a quarter inch of water flows thinly across 6,200 square feet of dark granite, then into a narrow drain. The membrane pool features circular patterns of 79 jets that invite people to interact with the spraying water.

Visitors of all ages have been cooling off from the summer heat in its membrane pool. Because the pool is being enjoyed so much, the city’s Department of Health checks its bacteria levels three times a day.

 

When the sun goes down, the lights go up on the fountain, which displays a rainbow of colors. Visitors can enjoy the fountain’s light show from the surrounding overlook and other areas outside the park. As part of the transformation, workers tore down parking ramps that once hid the view of the fountain from pedestrians.

During construction, the craftsmen from Outside the Lines worked hand-in-hand with the project team, which includes the fountain’s designer, Fluidity Design Consultants, and the Los Angeles Conservancy, which oversaw work on the fountain.

The Grand Park project, in the heart of the city’s Civic Center, features 12 acres of lawns, gardens, walking paths and performance stages cascading downhill from the Music Center to City Hall. The park is a green oasis among towering building and concrete structures. It features lawns where people can picnic or play ball, and a courtyard lined with olive trees. There are also plazas that can hold book fairs and art shows and walking paths lined with lavender.

The first phase of the park opened in July 2012, and the second phase opens in Fall 2012.

For more information on Grand Park, visit

https://grandparkla.org/
https://otl.wpengine.com/la-lights-up-with-newly-improved-civic-park-fountain
https://otl.wpengine.com/civic-park-downtown-los-angeles-california

To find out more about the construction of interactive water features and water fountains, please contact Hugh F. Hughes at Outside the Lines at (714) 637-4747, extension 151, or email OTL at info@otl-inc.com.